System and method for delegating management of a financial transaction account to a designated assistant

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods and computer program products for enabling a holder of a transaction account linked to a financial transaction instrument to delegate management of the transaction account to an assistant. Information relating to the transaction account, including at least identification information relating to the holder of the transaction account, is stored in a database. The database stores financial transaction data relating to financial transactions performed using the financial transaction instrument. A designation of at least one assistant to manage the transaction account on behalf of the holder is accepted and stored. Assistant management authentication data associated with the transaction account is established, to be used by the assistant to execute management instructions at a designated level of management access. An instruction from the assistant is accepted to access transaction data associated with the transaction account.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, claims priority to and thebenefit of, U.S. Ser. No. 11/246,135 filed Oct. 11, 2005 and entitled“SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELEGATING MANAGEMENT OF A FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONACCOUNT TO A DESIGNATED ASSISTANT.” The '135 application claims priorityto, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/689,378 filed Jun. 10, 2005. All of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to delegating management of afinancial transaction account, and more particularly to enabling aholder of a transaction account linked to a financial transactioninstrument to delegate a specific level of management access of anaccount to a designated assistant.

2. Related Art

A business executive who has a financial transaction instrumentassociated with a transaction account (e.g., a credit card) may wish tohave an executive assistant attend to the details of managing theaccount, such as reviewing and verifying transactions, making inquiriesregarding specific transactions, etc. However, there has been until nowa lack of clear, systematic procedures for delegating management of atransaction account to an executive assistant. Thus, account holdersmust often resort to informal means for effecting such delegation, whichcan be cumbersome and inefficient and may not provide the properprocedural or legal basis for such delegation.

One conventional method for informally delegating management of anaccount to an assistant is for the account holder to send a letter orfacsimile to the card issuer requesting that the assistant be givenaccess to the account. However, such correspondence, because it iscomposed by the account holder, who in most cases is not expert in theapplicable legal considerations, often does not meet the legalrequirements or the card issuer's procedural requirements for properauthorization. Account holders may also contact the card issuer bytelephone to request delegation of management to an assistant, butagain, this informal communication may not meet all of the procedural orlegal requirements for proper authorization and may be unacceptable tothe card issuer due to concerns regarding account security, as well. Inaddition, the lack of a systematic way of maintaining informationrelating to the designation of assistants may result in this informationbeing inadvertently overlooked by those responsible for retrievingaccount information, which may result in the assistant being deniedaccess to the account information, even where the assistant has beenprovided with authorization that complies fully with the law and thecard issuer's requirements.

Another conventional method for informally delegating management of anaccount to an assistant involves the account holder giving their onlineuser-identifier and password to the assistant to allow access to thetransaction account via the Internet. However, this raises accountsecurity concerns and may violate the online access user agreementbetween the account holder and the card issuer. Furthermore, under thisscenario, the account holder cannot control the level of access grantedto the assistant. The assistant may be allowed to perform functions thatthe account holder does not wish to delegate, such as changing themailing address for the account, requesting a credit line increase,applying for other transaction accounts, etc. Even worse, an accountholder might give the assistant personal information, such as theirsocial security number, and may instruct the assistant to telephone thecard issuer pretending to be the account holder. Such an approach wouldalmost certainly not meet procedural or legal requirements for properauthorization and raises the specter of identity theft and other serioussecurity concerns.

As mentioned above, among the shortcomings of these ad hoc methods isthe concern that such informal approaches do not satisfy all of theprocedural or legal requirements to effectuate proper delegation oftransaction account management. In addition, these methods lack asystematic mechanism for the account holder to monitor or otherwisecontrol the management functions being carried out on their behalf. Inparticular, these conventional methods do not allow the account holderto control the level of access granted to the assistant. Moreover, thereis at present no convenient mechanism for an account holder toestablish, change, or revoke delegation of account management, forinstance, via an online system.

Given the foregoing, what is needed is a system, method and computerprogram product for delegating management of a financial transactionaccount to a designated assistant. Specifically, there exists a need forformalized and systematic delegation of management of the transactionaccount by an account holder to a designated assistant, in a manner thatsatisfies the procedural and legal requirements associated with suchauthorization. There is also a need for a system that allows the accountholder to set a level of access for the delegation, such that theassistant only has access to a predetermined set of account managementfunctions. Further still, there is a need for a system that allows anaccount holder to establish, change, or revoke delegation of accountmanagement via an online system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets the above-identified needs by providing asystem, method and computer program product for delegating management ofa financial transaction account to a designated assistant.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a method for enabling a holder of a transaction account linkedto a financial transaction instrument to delegate management of thetransaction account to an assistant that proceeds by storing, in adatabase, information relating to the transaction account, theinformation including at least identification information relating tothe holder of the transaction account, the database being structured tostore financial transaction data relating to financial transactionsperformed using the financial transaction instrument, followed byaccepting and storing a designation of at least one assistant to managethe transaction account on the holder's behalf. The method furtherincludes establishing assistant management authentication dataassociated with the transaction account, to be used by the assistant(s)to execute management instructions at a designated level of managementaccess, and accepting a management instruction from the assistant(s) toaccess transaction data associated with the transaction account.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a method for enabling a holder of a transaction account linkedto a financial transaction instrument to delegate management of thetransaction account to an assistant that further includes accepting andstoring a designation of the level of management access defining a setof actions the assistant is authorized to perform in managing thetransaction account. In an instance where the holder of the transactionaccount designates more than one assistant to help manage their account,one version of the invention the holder is able to designate differentlevels of management access for the respective assistants.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a method for enabling a holder of a transaction account linkedto a financial transaction instrument to delegate management of thetransaction account to an assistant that further includes receiving themanagement instructions from the assistant over the Internet.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention,there is provided a method for enabling a holder of a transactionaccount linked to a financial transaction instrument to delegatemanagement of the transaction account to an assistant that furtherincludes accepting and storing the designation of the assistant andestablishing the assistant management authentication data at a singleintegrated server.

An advantage of the present invention is that it relieves the accountholder of the tedium of quotidian account management functions, such asreviewing and making inquiries regarding transactions on the account,and instead allows these functions to be more suitably performed by anassistant. The present invention also obviates the need for accountholders to resort to informal means for effecting such delegation,which, in addition to being inefficient and cumbersome, can raise legaland procedural concerns over the bases for such delegation.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides asystematic way of maintaining information relating to the designation ofassistants, which helps prevent this information from beinginadvertently overlooked by those responsible for retrieving accountinformation. The present invention also provides additional security foraccount holders by allowing them to select a level of management accessfor their designated assistants to help prevent fraudulent or otherunauthorized actions from being performed by a designated assistant.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it convenientlyallows an account holder to establish, change, or revoke delegation ofaccount management (e.g., via an online system).

Further features and advantages of the present invention as well as thestructure and operation of various embodiments of the present inventionare described in detail below with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken inconjunction with the drawings in which like reference numbers indicateidentical or functionally similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a transaction accounts system anda designated assistant system maintained by the transaction instrumentissuer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an integrated transactionaccount-designated assistant system maintained by the transactioninstrument issuer in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a transaction accounts system anda designated assistant system, both linked to an online systems serverthat is connected to a network and maintained by the transactioninstrument issuer in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an integrated transactionaccount-designated assistant system, linked to an online systems serverthat is connected to a network and maintained by the transactioninstrument issuer in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process for establishing atransaction account, along with designation of an assistant formanagement of the transaction account in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary management instructionconducted by a designated assistant on behalf of the account holder.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system useful forimplementing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Overview

The present invention is described in more detail herein in terms of anexemplary implementation. This is for convenience only and is notintended to limit the application of the present invention.

Generally, the present invention is directed to a system, method andcomputer program product for allowing an account holder to designate anassistant to manage a transaction account linked to a financialtransaction instrument, such as a credit card, debit card, rewards card,etc., in order to relieve the account holder of the burden of having toperform certain account management functions. An account holder providesinformation on the designated assistant, such as, for example, name,address, and telephone number, to the transaction instrument issuer (forinstance, American Express) through one of a variety of mechanisms(e.g., via a paper or online enrollment form).

Normally, the designated assistant is restricted to such managementfunctions as described above. However, in certain situations, it may bethe case that the designated assistant is authorized to make certaincategories of purchases or make specific representations using thefinancial transaction instrument, on behalf of the account holder. Forinstance, under such circumstances as perhaps in the context of acorporate card, the designated assistant may be authorized to maketravel arrangements, such as purchasing airline tickets and makinglodging reservations, for the account holder.

Once this information is stored in the issuer's designated assistantsystem, the designated assistant is then authorized to manage thetransaction account on behalf of the account holder, to an extentdependent on the level of access, as discussed below. The managementfunctions performed by the designated assistant may include, forexample, obtaining statements, reviewing and verifying transactions,disputing transactions, setting up automated account alerts, anddisputing finance changes and late fees.

The present invention may provide an account holder with the option ofsetting a particular level of access at which the designated assistantis authorized to manage the transaction account. Each of the levelscorresponds to a predetermined set of management functions the assistantis allowed to perform. Alternatively, the system may provide a singlelevel of access for designated assistants, which includes apredetermined subset of management functions. It is also within thescope of the present invention to provide the account holder with theability to select individual authorization rights, in effect defining acustomized level of authorization to meet that account holder's needs.

If multiple access levels are provided, the broadest level may give thedesignated assistant unrestricted access to perform any functionassociated with the transaction account that can be performed by theaccount holder (apart from making a purchase). Alternatively, thebroadest level of access may exclude certain functions, such as theability to change the mailing address for the account. The other levelsrestrict the assistant to particular subsets of the management functionsassociated with the transaction account. For example, a level may beprovided that only allows the assistant to view and retrieve transactiondata. Another level may permit the assistant also to request and obtainfrom an operator additional detail about and back-up documentation forparticular transactions, to dispute any that the account holder maybelieve not to be genuine, and the assistant may in addition beauthorized at this level to advise the transaction card issuer that theaccount holder disputes a particular charge, either by speaking with anoperator, via e-mail or using a web page, according to the meanspermitted by the transaction card issuer for such communications.Particularly if the assistant has a relatively high level ofauthorization permitting them to advise the transaction card issuer thata charge is disputed or to change contact information of the accountholder, the issuer can send a confirmatory communication to the accountholder alone, or to both the account holder and the assistant. Again, indesignating the assistant, the account holder may be given the abilityto select, within certain limits, to whom and under what circumstancessuch confirmatory messages will be sent.

The assistant may be designated as part of the initial applicationprocess for the transaction account. Alternatively, the assistant may bedesignated in an enrollment process relating to an existing transactionaccount. In either case, information on the designated assistant isstored in the transaction instrument issuer's designated assistantsystem, so that it may be accessed by customer service operators forverification purposes.

An account holder may designate more than one assistant to manage theaccount holder's transaction account and, for example, could assign eachassistant a different level of management access. Moreover, oneassistant may be designated by several account holders to manage each oftheir respective transaction accounts at desired levels of access.

The terms “user”, “end user”, “consumer”, “customer”, “participant”,“owner”, “requestor” and/or the plural form of these terms are usedinterchangeably herein to refer to those persons or entities capable ofaccessing, using, being affected by and/or benefiting from the presentinvention.

The term “designated assistant” refers to any individual who is givenauthorization by a transaction account holder to manage or administerthe transaction account. The designated assistant may be, for example,an executive assistant who works for or is supervised by the accountholder.

A “financial instrument issuer” is any entity that maintains atransaction account for customers to conduct financial transactionsusing a financial transaction instrument. One example of such entity isAmerican Express, or any other company that provides members withtransaction instruments and thereby maintains corresponding transactionaccounts.

“Management” is used interchangeably with “administration” and mayencompass any action or function performed by a designated assistantwith respect to the transaction account that could likewise be performedby the account holder, or a subset of such actions. By extension, theterm “management instruction” includes any means for causing the accountissuer to execute a management action, such as for example, a telephonecall to a customer service operator. An encryption key is electronicallyforwarded to the designated assistant by the transaction account issuer,enabling them to perform management functions over an online system, andin particular, over the Internet.

The terms “business”, “merchant”, “vendor”, “service” and/or“representative” may be used interchangeably with each other and shallmean any person, entity, distributor system, software and/or hardwarethat is a provider, broker and/or any other entity in the distributionchain of goods or services. For example, a merchant may be a grocerystore, a retail store, a travel agency, a service provider, an onlinemerchant or the like.

A “transaction account” as used herein refers to an account associatedwith an open account or a closed account system (as described below).The transaction account may exist in a physical or non-physicalembodiment. For example, a transaction account may be distributed innon-physical embodiments such as an account number, frequent-flyeraccount, telephone calling account or the like. Furthermore, a physicalembodiment of a transaction account may be distributed as a financialinstrument.

An “account,” “account number” or “account code”, as used herein, mayinclude any device, code, number, letter, symbol, digital certificate,smart chip, digital signal, analog signal, biometric or otheridentifier/indicia suitably configured to allow a consumer to access,interact with or communicate with a financial transaction system. Theaccount number may optionally be located on or associated with anyfinancial transaction instrument (e.g., rewards, charge, credit, debit,prepaid, telephone, embossed, smart, magnetic stripe, bar code,transponder or radio frequency card).

The account number may be distributed and stored in any form of plastic,electronic, magnetic, radio frequency (RF), wireless, audio and/oroptical device capable of transmitting or downloading data from itselfto a second device. A customer account number may be, for example, asixteen-digit credit card number. Each credit card issuer has its ownnumbering system, such as the fifteen-digit numbering system used byAmerican Express Company of New York, N.Y. Each issuer's credit cardnumbers comply with that company's standardized format such that anissuer using a sixteen-digit format will generally use four spaced setsof numbers in the form of: N.sub.1N.sub.2N.sub.3N.sub.4N.sub.5N.sub.6N.sub.7N.sub.8N.sub.9N.sub.10N.sub.11N.sub.12N.sub.13N.sub.14N.sub.15N.sub.16

The first five to seven digits are reserved for processing purposes andidentify the issuing institution, card type, etc. In this example, thelast (sixteenth) digit is typically used as a sum check for thesixteen-digit number. The intermediary eight-to-ten digits are used touniquely identify the customer, card holder or cardmember. A merchantaccount number may be, for example, any number or alpha-numericcharacters that identifies a particular merchant for purposes of cardacceptance, account reconciliation, reporting and the like.

II. System

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. The issuer of the transaction instrument maintains atransaction accounts system 100, which processes and stores informationdata relating to the transaction accounts. Transaction accounts system100 may include, for example, a server 105 configured to communicatewith a number of client computers 110 via a network (depicted in FIG. 1as lines connecting the server to the client computers), e.g., a localarea network (LAN), or a mainframe computer configured to communicatewith a number of terminals.

Transaction accounts system 100 includes a transaction database 115 andan account database 120. During operation, any data regarding aparticular account holder is stored in the appropriate correspondingdatabase associated with transaction accounts system 100, with server105 processing the data among the several linked databases and clients.

Account database 120 stores identification, personal, and contactinformation provided to the transaction instrument issuer by accountholders. This account information may, for example, include a holder'sname, residence, Social Security number, employer, contact information,and the like.

Transaction database 115 stores all information relating to transactionsconducted with the financial transaction instrument linked to thetransaction account. For example, when an account holder makes apurchase at a merchant using the transaction instrument, data relatingto the transaction is transmitted by the merchant to the account issuer.Assuming the transaction is approved, the card issuer pays the merchantand bills the account holder. The transaction data is stored intransaction database 115 for these purposes and for record keepingpurposes, among other uses.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the databasesmentioned above, and additional databases for storing other informationmay be provided as part of transaction accounts system 100. Thesedatabases may be stored as a single database or as physically orlogically separate databases, as depicted in FIG. 1. The physicalstorage device or devices may be either internal or external totransaction accounts system server 105.

As noted above, there are one or more client computers 110 associatedwith transaction accounts system 100 that are capable of accessing thissystem to retrieve information from databases 115 and 120. It is to beunderstood that although only one client 110 is depicted in FIG. 1,there may be numerous clients connected to transaction accounts server105 via various types of network and direct connections.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1 is a designated assistant system 125 incommunication with the transaction accounts system 100 via a network,such as a LAN or the Internet. The designated assistant system 125 may,for example, include a server 130 configured to communicate via a LAN,or any other conventionally known set of links, with a number of clientcomputers 110. In such an embodiment, the server 130 processes andstores information relating to designated assistants who are authorizedto manage transaction accounts on behalf of the account holders.

System 125 includes a designated assistant database 135 that storesmanagement data, which is identification, personal, and contactinformation relating to the designated assistants. Database 135 may beimplemented, for example, as a Microsoft.®. Access database running on aserver. The physical device or devices on which designated assistantdatabase 135 is stored may be either internal or external to thedesignated assistant system server.

The management data may include, for example, the assistant's name,Social Security number, contact information, the level of access atwhich they are authorized to manage a transaction account, and the like.This data, among other uses, can be employed as assistant authenticationdata, allowing the identity of the designated assistant to be verifiedby the account issuer. This data also allows the account issuer toprovide the designated assistant with general information relating tothe management of accounts by assistants. For example, when an assistantis first designated, the account issuer may send to the assistantinformation on the various means of accessing the account holder'stransaction account and the terms and conditions relating to suchaccess. In addition, this information relating to the assistant may beused by the transaction card issuer in sending a confirmatory e-mail tothe account holder and their assistant subsequent to the assistantperforming certain management functions on the account holder's behalf,as described in more detail below.

As noted above, a number of client computers 110 are connected todesignated assistant system 125 to allow access to the designatedassistant data. For example, a customer service operator working for thetransaction instrument issuer may access the designated assistantinformation to allow the operator to verify that a caller has properauthorization to assist in managing the account. Alternatively, asdiscussed below, the operator may access the designated assistantinformation through transaction accounts system 100.

In FIG. 1, transaction accounts system 100 and designated assistantsystem 125 are connected by an electronic link 140, such as a network orother type of electronic link. In this particular embodiment, link 140allows information to pass between systems 100 and 125 in order tosynchronize records in systems 100 and 125. For example, when thetransaction instrument issuer receives the designation of an assistantfrom an account holder, the authorization may be automatically relayedfrom designated assistant system 125 to transaction accounts system 100for appropriate processing, updating, and storage in account database120. Link 140 between systems 100 and 125 may allow for automaticelectronic updating of designated assistant information in transactionaccounts system 100.

In an alternative embodiment, designated assistant system 125 andtransaction accounts system 100 need not be electronically connected. Insuch case, the designated assistant information may be entered into thecorresponding systems separately. Synchronization between the twosystems may be carried out by a manual procedure of periodicallyupdating the information with the appropriate additions, changes, ordeletions.

FIG. 1 likewise depicts client computers 110 connected both totransaction accounts and designated assistant systems 100 and 125,respectively. Using these client computers 110, operators are able toaccess both the transaction accounts system information and thedesignated assistant information. Such clients may take the form of, forexample, personal computers, workstations, or other terminals from whichdata, stored on both systems, may be retrieved.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the transactionaccounts and designated assistant servers may be integrated, asillustrated in FIG. 2. In this configuration, both servers are providedwithin a single operating unit, an integrated server 200, that performsthe functions of both designated assistant server 130 and transactionaccounts server 105 in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Integrated server 200is accessed by individual client computers 110.

In this embodiment, integrated server 200 is connected with a number ofdatabases, including an account database 120, a transaction database115, and a designated assistant database 135. Of course, the presentinvention is not limited to only these databases, and could certainlyaccommodate additional databases. The present databases may be stored aseither a single or, otherwise, as physically or logically separatedatabases. Moreover, both an internal and external physical storagedevice or devices are contemplated by the present invention.Advantageously, integrating the two separate servers obviates the needfor manual updating of each respective server with the correspondingdesignation and transaction or account data.

Integrated server 200 can also be accessed at several locations throughclient computers 110. As with the other embodiments, client computers110 are not limited to any particular form, and can be implemented aspersonal computers, terminals, workstations, etc.

In other embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 3, transaction accountsserver 105 and designated assistant server 130 may be connected to anonline systems server 300, in order to make these systems accessiblefrom remote locations over a network 305, e.g., the Internet. As used inthis embodiment, the term “remote locations” is intended to cover anyaccess points outside the facility of the transaction instrument issuer.As in the previously described embodiments, transaction accounts server105 is in connection with designated assistant server 130, both of whichare connected to online systems server 300 and capable of being accessedby client computers 110. Each of these servers is likewise linked tovarious databases as described above, such as an account database 120, atransaction database 115, and a designated assistant database 135.

FIG. 3 presents online systems server 300, linked to both transactionaccounts and designated assistant servers. Online server 300 may be anyserver known in the art, capable of supplying the information from anydatabase linked to either server 105 or 130 to a plurality of clientcomputers 110 over network 305 such as, for example, the Internet. Thecontent of the information provided may be written and subsequentlyviewed in any conventional network language and/or graphics formatincluding HTML, Java Script, XML, and the like.

Information may be retrieved from the online systems server 300 by aclient computer 110, which may be located at the facility of thetransaction instrument issuer. Although in FIG. 3 client computer 110 isonly connected to online server 300 itself, in an alternate embodimentclient computer 110 could, in addition, be connected directly todesignated assistant server 130. Moreover, the present embodiment isdesigned to allow both servers to be accessed from remote locations byclient computers 110.

As shown in FIG. 4, yet another embodiment of the present inventionprovides the transaction accounts server and designated assistant serverintegrated within a single server 200, which is connected to an onlinesystems server 300. The online systems server 300 in turn enables accessto the integrated server 200 by client computers 110 over a network 305.As with the integrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the present integratedserver 200 is in connection with a number of databases including, butnot limited to, an account database 120, a transaction database 115, anda designated assistant database 135.

Integrated transaction account/designated assistant server 200 can beaccessed either through one of client computers 110 directly linked toit or through online systems server 300. Client computers 110 may belocated on the premises of the transaction instrument issuer for use bycustomer service operators. While only single client computers 110 arerepresented in FIG. 4 as being linked to online systems server 300 andintegrated server 200, respectively, the present invention does notpreclude a plurality of such clients from being connected thereto.

III. Process

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a designated assistant enrollmentprocess 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The process may begin with a customer establishing a transaction accountassociated with a financial transaction instrument (step 505), oralternatively, the customer may have an existing transaction account.The customer may establish the transaction account with a transactioninstrument issuer by completing an application, which may be, forexample, a paper form mailed or sent by facsimile to the account issuer,or it may be an online form transmitted to the account issuer via theInternet. The account issuer enters the information provided by thecustomer into a transaction accounts system (step 510) that, asdiscussed above, handles the storage and processing of transaction andaccount data for accounts linked to the financial transactioninstrument.

Once a transaction account is established, the account holder is able todesignate one or more assistants to administer the account on theirbehalf (step 515). To do so, the account holder may complete adesignated assistant enrollment form, which is forwarded to thetransaction instrument issuer (step 520). The form may be for example, apaper form mailed or sent by facsimile to the account issuer, or it maybe an online form transmitted to the account issuer via the Internet.Alternatively, the customer may designate one or more assistants as partof completing the initial transaction instrument application by fillingin a particular portion of the form provided for that purpose.

The assistant enrollment form, whether separate from or combined withthe initial application, provides the procedural and legal basisnecessary to effectuate authorization enabling the designatedindividual(s) to manage or administer the transaction account, includingspecifying its applicable terms and conditions. It should be understoodthat the assistant enrollment form is not limited to any specific formator medium. Information relating to the designated assistant is stored inthe transaction instrument issuer's designated assistant system, so thatit can be accessed by customer service operators for verificationpurposes. It should be noted that if the holder of the transactionaccount wishes to designate more than one assistant, all the assistantscan be designated at the same time, or an additional assistant can bedesignated subsequent to (and in a separate transaction from) thedesignation of the first assistant.

In designating an assistant, the account holder may select a level ofmanagement access at which the assistant may be authorized to manage thetransaction account. For example, the access level may be selected onthe designated assistant enrollment form. As discussed above, each ofthe levels corresponds to a predetermined set of management functionsthe assistant is allowed to perform. Alternatively, the system mayprovide only a single level of access for designated assistants, whichincludes a predetermined subset of management functions. Also, if thesystem supports selection of various access levels, and if more than oneassistant is designated, the holder of the transaction account canoptionally designate different access levels for different assistants.Alternatively, the system can be constructed to permit selection of onlyone access level for all the assistants designated with respect to agiven transaction account.

If multiple access levels are provided, the broadest level may give thedesignated assistant unrestricted access to perform any functionassociated with the transaction account that can be performed by theaccount holder. Alternatively, the broadest level of access may excludecertain functions, such as the ability to change the mailing address forthe account. The other levels restrict the assistant to particularsubsets of the management functions associated with the transactionaccount.

For example, the level of management access may permit the designatedassistant to perform all functions available to the account holder, butmay exclude the authority to alter the account holder's personalinformation, such as the account mailing address. As a further example,an account holder may restrict the designated assistant to the level ofviewing and retrieving transaction information and conducting generalaccount inquiries.

As noted above, the designation information is entered by the accountissuer into a designated assistant system as management data (step 525).This management data may, by way of non-limiting example, take the formof an electronic entry created within the transaction instrumentissuer's designated assistant database (see element 135 in FIGS. 1-4).The management data may include personal and contact informationrelating to the designated assistant, such as the name of the assistant,their Social Security number, address, telephone number, e-mail address,and any other identifying information the transaction account issuer mayrequire. When the designated assistant seeks to execute a managementinstruction relating to the account, for example, by making a phone callto the transaction instrument issuer, the customer service operatoraccesses the management data in the designated assistant system toverify the identity of the assistant and their authority to administerthe transaction account.

In the embodiment discussed above with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, themanagement data may constitute a management account that enables thedesignated assistant to access the account holder's transaction accountvia an online system in order to execute management instructions. Insuch a case, the designated assistant may obtain access by inputting auser identifier and password. With this management account thedesignated assistant is able to retrieve information from both thedesignated assistant and transaction accounts systems, and moreover, toexecute account management functions in accordance with the assistant'sauthorized level of access. For example, the assistant may be able tochange their own contact information, such as their phone number oremail address, and may also be able to retrieve and review informationrelating to transactions performed using the transaction instrument,track the status of a particular transaction or management function, oreven receive a confirmatory e-mail of an executed transaction.

In addition to the steps described above for designating an assistant,the account holder may also change the designated assistant, or cancelthe authorization of a designated assistant altogether. To do so, theaccount holder may, for example, submit an appropriate form or access aparticular webpage in the online account management system. Such formsare not limited to any particular format or medium.

The account holder may designate more than one assistant to manage oradminister their transaction account. Under such an embodiment, theaccount holder proceeds according to the process described above, butmay, for example, submit a separate designation form for each additionalassistant, indicating on the form that the designation is made inaddition to any previous designations. Alternatively, a single form mayprovide for the designation of multiple assistants. Moreover, thepresent invention may allow the account holder to set different levelsof access for each of their designated assistants, thus allowing greaterflexibility in distributing responsibility for account managementfunctions.

According to the present invention, it is also the case that a singleassistant may be designated by more than one account holder. That is, insuch instance the designated assistant would be authorized to manage aplurality of distinct transaction accounts, each linked to a separatetransaction account instrument issued to a separate account holder.Under this particular arrangement, the present invention mayadditionally enable the account holders each to select a different levelof management access to which the common designated assistant isauthorized to administer their respective transaction accounts.

FIG. 6 shows an example of how a designated assistant manages a holder'stransaction account as in the case, for example, of an executiveassistant administering their employer's corporate card account (orseveral executives' accounts). The account holder establishes atransaction account with the account issuer and designates an assistantas described above or may have previously completed these steps. In thisexample, the assistant telephones the transaction instrument issuer(step 605) to dispute a purchase appearing on the account holder'smonthly statement. A customer service operator answers the call and asksfor identification information from the executive assistant beforeaccessing the account information. The operator, working from a clientcomputer (e.g., element 110 in FIGS. 1-4), accesses the designatedassistant system and retrieves the management data to verify theidentity of the assistant (step 610). The operator also determines thelevel of access specified for the assistant, which defines the set ofmanagement functions the assistant is authorized to perform.

Alternatively, the assistant may encounter an automated system foraccount inquiries, set up by the transaction account issuer. In suchinstance, the assistant would need to provide the same identificationinformation prior to gaining access to management data. If an automatedsystem is used, it may be of any of various types, including one inwhich the assistant accesses a webpage and enters the requiredinformation for authentication and for performing the desired managementfunctions through dialog boxes or the like. Another form that such anautomated system could take is one accessed via a voice link, with theassistant receiving stored or voice-synthesized information in audioform, and inputting the required information via a keypad.

The operator or automated system then accesses the transaction accountssystem to retrieve the desired account and/or transaction data (step615). For example, the operator may retrieve the date of the disputedpurchase, the vendor, and the amount. The operator may acceptinstructions from the executive assistant for resolving the disputedpurchase, if the assistant has the appropriate level of access toperform this function (step 620). This may result in the operatorupdating the data stored in the transaction database (step 625), such asto mark the transaction as disputed, depending upon outcome of theexchange with the assistant.

IV. Example Implementations

The present invention (i.e., system 100, process 500 or any part(s) orfunction(s) thereof) may be implemented using hardware, software or acombination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computersystems or other processing systems. Useful machines for performing theoperation of the present invention include general purpose digitalcomputers or similar devices.

In fact, in one embodiment, the invention is directed toward one or morecomputer systems capable of carrying out the functionality describedherein. An example of a computer system 700 is shown in FIG. 7.

Computer system 700 includes one or more processors, such as processor704. Processor 704 is connected to a communication infrastructure 706(e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network). Varioussoftware embodiments are described in terms of this exemplary computersystem. After reading this description, it will become apparent to aperson skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the inventionusing other computer systems and/or architectures.

Computer system 700 can include a display interface 702 that forwardsgraphics, text, and other data from communication infrastructure 706 (orfrom a frame buffer not shown) for display on display a unit 730.

Computer system 700 also includes a main memory 708, preferably randomaccess memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 710.Secondary memory 710 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 712and/or a removable storage drive 714, representing a floppy disk drive,a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc. Removable storagedrive 714 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit 718 in awell-known manner. Removable storage unit 718 represents a floppy disk,magnetic tape, optical disk, etc., which is read by and written to byremovable storage drive 714. As will be appreciated, removable storageunit 718 includes a computer usable storage medium having stored thereincomputer software and/or data.

In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 710 may include othersimilar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions tobe loaded into computer system 700. Such devices may include, forexample, a removable storage unit 722 and an interface 720. Examples ofsuch may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such asthat found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as anerasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable readonly memory (PROM)) and associated socket, and other removable storageunits 722 and interfaces 720, which allow software and data to betransferred from removable storage unit 722 to computer system 700.

Computer system 700 may also include a communications interface 724.Communications interface 724 allows software and data to be transferredbetween computer system 700 and external devices. Examples ofcommunications interface 724 may include a modem, a network interface(such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal ComputerMemory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc.Software and data transferred via communications interface 724 are inthe form of signals 728 which may be electronic, electromagnetic,optical or other signals capable of being received by communicationsinterface 724. Signals 728 are provided to communications interface 724via a communications path (e.g., channel) 726. This channel 726 carriessignals 728 and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, atelephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link and othercommunications channels.

In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computerusable medium” are used to generally refer to media such as removablestorage drive 714, a hard disk installed in hard disk drive 712, andsignals 728. These computer program products provide software tocomputer system 700. The invention is directed to such computer programproducts.

Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) arestored in main memory 708 and/or secondary memory 710. Computer programsmay also be received via communications interface 724. Such computerprograms, when executed, enable computer system 700 to perform thefeatures of the present invention, as discussed herein. In particular,the computer programs, when executed, enable processor 704 to performthe features of the present invention. Accordingly, such computerprograms represent controllers of computer system 700.

In an embodiment where the invention is implemented using software, thesoftware may be stored in a computer program product and loaded intocomputer system 700 using removable storage drive 714, hard drive 712 orcommunications interface 724. The control logic (software), whenexecuted by processor 704, causes processor 704 to perform the functionsof the invention as described herein.

In another embodiment, the invention is implemented primarily inhardware using, for example, hardware components such as applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of the hardwarestate machine so as to perform the functions described herein will beapparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s).

In yet another embodiment, the invention is implemented using acombination of both hardware and software.

V. Conclusion

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any ofthe above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only inaccordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

In addition, it should be understood that the figures illustrated in theattachments, which highlight the functionality and advantages of thepresent invention, are presented for example purposes only. Thearchitecture of the present invention is sufficiently flexible andconfigurable, such that it may be utilized (and navigated) in ways otherthan that shown in the accompanying figures.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to thescope of the present invention in any way.

1. A method, comprising: accepting, by a computer based systemconfigured for designating authorization, a transaction account dataaccess designation of a second user from a first transaction accountholder, wherein the first transaction account holder has transactionaccount data authorization and the second user does not have transactionaccount data authorization; enabling, by the computer based system andbased on the designation, review of transaction account data by thesecond user; and enabling, by the computer based system based on thedesignation, inquiries by a transaction account issuer regardingtransaction account data.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thetransaction account data is transaction account usage data.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer basedsystem, management of the transaction account data by the second user.4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the computerbased system, a respective level of management access defining thetransaction account data access designations that the second user isauthorized to perform in managing the transaction account data.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer basedsystem, a second account holder to designate management of secondtransaction account data associated with a second transaction account tothe second user, wherein the second transaction account holder hassecond transaction account data authorization and the second user doesnot have second transaction account data authorization.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transaction account data access designation isperformed contemporaneously with an opening of the transaction account.7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction account data accessdesignation is performed after the transaction account is opened andused in a financial transaction.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising altering, by the computer based system, a stored level ofaccess of the second user to a new level of access.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer based system, thefirst transaction account holder to terminate transaction account dataaccess of the second user.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the seconduser inquires of the transaction account issuer regarding transactionaccount data.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user is anemployee working for the holder of the transaction account.
 12. A systemcomprising: a processor configured for designating authorization, atangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with theprocessor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructionsstored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, causethe processor to perform operations comprising: accepting, by theprocessor, a transaction account data access designation of a seconduser from a first transaction account holder, wherein the firsttransaction account holder has transaction account data authorizationand the second user does not have transaction account dataauthorization; enabling, by the processor and based on the designation,review of transaction account data by the second user; and enabling, bythe processor and based on the designation, inquiries by a transactionaccount issuer regarding transaction account data.
 13. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the transaction account data is transaction accountusage data.
 14. The system of claim 12, further comprising enabling, bythe processor, management of the transaction account data by the seconduser.
 15. The system of claim 12, further comprising storing, by theprocessor, a respective level of management access defining thetransaction account data access designations that the second user isauthorized to perform in managing the transaction account data.
 16. Thesystem of claim 12, further comprising enabling, by the processor, asecond account holder to designate management of second transactionaccount data associated with a second transaction account to the seconduser, wherein the second transaction account holder has secondtransaction account data authorization and the second user does not havesecond transaction account data authorization.
 17. The system of claim12, further comprising altering, by the processor, a stored level ofaccess of the second user to a new level of access.
 18. The system ofclaim 12, further comprising enabling, by the processor, the firsttransaction account holder to terminate transaction account data accessof the second user.
 19. The system of claim 12, wherein the second userinquires of the transaction account issuer regarding transaction accountdata.
 20. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangiblecomputer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereonthat, in response to execution by a computer-based system configured fordesignating authorization, cause the computer-based system to performoperations comprising: accepting, by the computer based system , atransaction account data access designation of a second user from afirst transaction account holder, wherein the first transaction accountholder has transaction account data authorization and the second userdoes not have transaction account data authorization; enabling, by thecomputer based system and based on the designation, review oftransaction account data by the second user; and enabling, by thecomputer based system based on the designation, inquiries by atransaction account issuer regarding transaction account data.